Intellectual background of
Stuart England was rooted in medieval concept of a hierarchical, ordered
universe: God/Angels/Mankind/Animals/Plants/Stones

Most people believed the
world was composed of four elements; the body, four humors. Each
had related characteristics: Earth/melancholy/cold
and dry Water/phlegm/cold
and moist Air/blood/hot and
moist Fire/choler/hot and
dry

King was “personification
of the state, the anointed of God, a being of sanctity and a legend.”
Was fountain of justice, supreme governor of Church, director of foreign
policy, dispenser of patronage

Privy Council was administrative
organization of the King, responsible for foreign and domestic affairsMinisters of State – Lord
Chancellor, Lord Treasurer, Lord President of the Privy Council, Lord Privy
Seal, Secretaries of State, Lord Chamberlain, Lord High Admiral

Parliament assisted king
in devising legislation and raising revenue. House of Commons had approximately
440 members; the House of Lords, 80

Church of England was compromise
between Catholicism and Reformed Protestantism; Parish was basic unit of
English church and state (approximately 8000 parishes in 1603)

Justices of the Peace (JPs)
were responsible for local law and government (approximately 40 per shire)

Sheriffs (one per shire)
gathered rents, annuities, and fees from crown lands and carried out policies
of Council in shire

Most of revenue for central
government came from custom and excise duties and sales taxes (only 8 percent
of royal revenues came from direct taxation).